This Barre Blend class integrates movements form the worlds of ballet, yoga and Tai Chi. Based on floor work this class focuses on lower body strength, posture and balance.

Take this class with Petra: http://bit.ly/11D0cWv

We all have days when we reeeaaalllly don’t want to work out. Yes, even at FitnessGlo! Lately, we’ve been leaning heavily on music to help motivate us and get us through a tough workout. One particularly effective way to get us moving is to dance (whether we’re good at it or not!) our hearts out and strut a bit as we walk, run, or strength train. This week’s Hip Hop Workout playlist is perfect for getting a bit of attitude on and having fun while you work out. We’ve got a few favorites on this album that we play on repeat. And repeat. And repeat. We’ll let you guess which ones and hope you like them as much as we do!

Like what you hear? You can purchase this album on iTunes thanks to our partners at FirstCom.

There are so many misconceptions about fitness and working out. When should we work out? What should we do first? How often? How much? Why? Before you know it, the entire endeavor can feel overwhelming and you want to give up before you even get started. Ask a Trainer to the rescue! Our top trainers are ready and willing to answer your questions so you can get moving & keep moving and feeling great. Each week, a few of them will answer a new question. Have a question you’d like to ask one of our trainers? Email us at hello@fitnessglo.com or comment on our weekly Ask a Trainer posts and we’ll add your questions to the list!

This week’s question is: I’ve noticed my arms getting bigger from weight training. How do I get stronger without bulking up?

• Michelle Dozois: Lifting weights is key to getting strong & lean. Gaining pure muscle size is very difficult, hence why even some male bodybuilders resort to steroids. Now when you first starting lifting weights you may get a temporary thick feeling in your arms but all that is well worth the result of sleek, sexy arms. It also takes a surplus of calories to put on muscle, so don’t exceed your calorie intake and you will not gain weight. Every woman who has told me they have gotten bulky from lifting weights has shockingly realized they were consuming more calories than their body needed and once they got that in check, they became leaner throughout their entire physique. Embrace muscle, it will help you burn more fat, keeps you strong and fit and help you defy the aging process.
• Petra Kolber: My guess is that if they are getting bigger, they are also becoming more toned and defined. All good, especially with summer on its way. There is still a huge misunderstanding that heavy weights = bulk. When it comes to the gorgeous female body, I always recommend heavier weights to sculpt those arms that we desire. If new to exercise I would suggest moving through the workouts first without any weights to learn good form and technique. Then slowly begin to increase the resistance but PLEASE do not stay at 3lbs – this is NOT going to prevent you from bulking up, but it WILL prevent you from developing beautiful, strong, sculpted arms and body. Do 12 reps that make a difference versus 100 reps that only burn out your joints. I am 5 foot 8 and weigh 130lbs. My weights of choice for my upper body are between 10 and 20 lbs. Come on ladies drop the myths and pick up those weights.

We’ve received several great comments from our FitnessGlo members over the past few weeks and they all have one thing in common: this online community feels like…a community. You feel connected to our trainers through their workouts, their comments and their tweets. You feel connected to each other through common challenges and goals. You feel connected to others in your life who are trying to make healthy choices because you are too. You aren’t alone on FitnessGlo and you’ve let us know that is making a big difference.

A few times a week, I run a the loop at the Rose Bowl. It’s great cross-training for our FitnessGlo workouts, it’s outdoors and when the weather is warm and there is a light breeze, it’s pretty magical. But the thing I enjoy most about doing that loop? All the strangers who are on the loop with me. Some smile as they pass, others are so sweaty and so focused on their workout they don’t even notice I’m there. Some are riding bikes, some have a dog with them, others lap me six times and I marvel at how they do it. But we are all there together, doing our workouts. We’re joined in a common goal and the community pushes me further when I feel like quitting early or not even driving to the loop at all.

This week, I encourage you to embrace the community around you. If you’ve never commented on a FitnessGlo class but have a question for one of our trainers or one of the other students, reach out. Like something we share in social media? Share it with a friend you feel could use it. Seek out those in your life who are on the same healthy journey you are and let them know they have your support. You’ll be amazed at what encouragement comes back your way to help spur you on in your own fitness program.

Designed to help to alleviate your low back discomfort and pain, join Denise Klatte to stretch your lower back and torso. All stretches are performed while seated and lying down. If you can’t get to the floor, lie on your bed or sofa…no excuses for a ‘bad back’!

Take this class with Denise: http://bit.ly/R2gVjr

This week’s playlist is all about turning it up a notch and taking it old school with some loud rock to run or bike, or swim to…it might also be true that we first heard this playlist and felt compelled to let off some steam by dancing and playing some air-guitar. Want to be inspired to push further on your next run? Our Rock for Running playlist is for you!

Like what you hear? You can purchase this album on iTunes thanks to our partners at FirstCom.

There are so many misconceptions about fitness and working out. When should we work out? What should we do first? How often? How much? Why? Before you know it, the entire endeavor can feel overwhelming and you want to give up before you even get started. Ask a Trainer to the rescue! Our top trainers are ready and willing to answer your questions so you can get moving & keep moving and feeling great. Each week, a few of them will answer a new question. Have a question you’d like to ask one of our trainers? Email us at hello@fitnessglo.com or comment on our weekly Ask a Trainer posts and we’ll add your questions to the list!

This week’s question is: I’m hearing a lot about the importance of interval training. What are the benefits and how often should I include this type of workout in my regimen?

• Amy Dixon: Interval training is truly one of the most effective ways to burn calories in a shorter amount of time. Not only will it help you see results quicker than typical endurance training because it helps you learn how to tolerate higher intensities but it will help you get fitter faster. With that said, you should only do a true HIIT workout up to 3 days per week and KEEP your endurance based workouts to help you maintain your fitness level on the other 2 days.
• Petra Kolber: Interval training is not as complicated as you think. It simply is alternating effort intervals of cardio that are above your normal intensity level,  with recovery intervals that are slightly lower than your normal intensity level for cardio. If you have only been doing “steady state” cardio (longer distance and times at a moderate intensity) you may find that interval training is an effective way to mix up for workouts and also help reduce the dreaded exercise plateaus. Interval training has been shown to be very effective in burning calories and also allows you to spend less time on cardio while seeing great results. The increased intensity does come the increased risk of injury and so I would slowly add this into your workout routine once a week. When you feel as though your body has adapted you could add interval training as much as 2-3 X a week, but I would not recommend any more than that, and also with a day in-between.

There are six (yes, six!) different construction projects currently underway in my neighborhood. All in a two block radius. Four of the projects are on the same block, same street. This means construction crews going from 7am to 7pm up and down the same stretch of road, with one team’s detour cones directing traffic right into another construction team’s detour zone. Two of the projects are taking place in my own building and earlier this week, one crew had blocked our entrance while another had forbidden all access through the back trash area.

It’s maddening. But these projects represent progress. These projects are the culmination of years of community voting and planning and meetings to create new spaces, fix falling foundations, repair crumbling brick.

As I pass this construction each day (and yes, even when I swear under my breath), I’m reminded that I, too, am under construction. We all are.

I’ve decided to get back into race shape. No small task as I turn forty. And the process isn’t pretty. It resembles these construction sites. A lot of activity, a lot of dust and noise, things not quite where we want them to be, pain where there never used to be. Many frustrations and detours and locked front doors along the way. But just as I can see my neighborhood taking shape, just as I can see our 100-year-old brick restored and coming back to life, I can see my muscles responding. I am running faster miles and I can see the work paying off. I’m a long way from where I want to be and there will be more orange-coned detours along the way. But I’m learning to embrace the detours rather than get discouraged by them.

So that’s my hope for all of us this week – to remember we’re all under construction. Where we’re at now may not be the final vision in our minds (and may never be, just as 100-year-old brick is not earthquake-proof, though it’s what my walls are made of), but the work to get stronger and get closer to a healthy goal…those are worthwhile pursuits. Let’s be under construction together this week and somehow learn to smile at the detours along the way.

Each week on Facebook and Twitter, we share links to news and blog posts and articles that inspire us all to find the motivation to start with a program, stick with a program, love ourselves more, take better care of ourselves and find ways to feel better through movement.

It isn’t always easy. So we’re always on the lookout for good reads that you can turn throughout your day to find inspiration and a community  of like-minded people who are experiencing the same challenges you are facing.

Here are a few links we loved this week:

• Water & Workouts: How Much to Drink Before, During, and After: “Not being hydrated can cause dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and cramps, as well as muscles that feel like lead. But heading into your workout well hydrated can make you feel stronger and more alert, and since your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump oxygenated blood to your muscles, you’re able to exercise longer.”
• How to Prevent Back Pain from a Desk Job: Here are some ways to prevent discomfort and tension in your spine.
• Motivated to Move: Exercise to Feel Alive: “In fact, I don’t love exercising any more than the next guy or girl. It’s hard and uncomfortable, and anyone who says otherwise is lying! There are a lot of things I’d prefer do than work out each day. I would much rather sleep in or relax on the couch with a bowl of ice cream. But the reason I stick with it is because I love how it makes me feel. I may not like the process, but I love the results. Exercise makes me feel alive!”
• 10 Tips for Running Your First Marathon: “You’ve prepared for weeks, so now’s the time to have fun. Stop thinking about the runs you had to skip because you were sick or the fact that your pace is slower than you’d like — you’re about to accomplish a major goal, so now’s the time to enjoy the hours-long journey…”
• Exercise Key to Good Health as we Age: “Exercise is a significant ingredient in our effort to maintain good health. As we age we give up many of the activities we enjoyed that were also good for us. Frequently we give up because of a growing fear of falling. Once we have taken a spill, we dread a repeat performance and we become overly cautious. Balance is the key; it erodes slowly as we age. And as we try to protect ourselves, we engage in fewer physical activities.”

Ready to have a ball with Alex McLean?! Grab a light 2-4lb medicine ball and let’s attack the core from all angles to build that sleek lean look!

Take this class with Alex: http://bit.ly/OLnXX4